WTN - Les Cailloux, Chambers, Perrin and Verget

Here's few recent wines:

• 1999 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (3/12/2008)
  A little disappointing. It only had an hour in the decanter, but over the night it never really lost a certain hardness and high acidity. An elegant, Burgundian style, but just a little too angiular for my liking. Strill a very nice bottle, but not outstanding. Probably would have been better with food. (B+)
• N.V. Chambers Muscadelle (Tokay) Grand Rosewood Vineyards - Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen (3/12/2008)
  Wow, definitley a step up from the basic bottling. More concentration, more complexity, more acidity. Not cloying at all, just an explosion of raison, fig, and an orange note on the looonnnggg finish. Very impressive. (A)
• 2003 Perrin & Fils Vacqueyras Les Christins - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras (3/8/2008)
  Had over two nights. The first night, it seemed somewhat disjointed and tannic, and would have rated about 86-87. On the second night, more Provencal notes of garrigue, gamy flavours, cherries and licorice on the nose, and similar notes on the palate, together with healthy tannins and a slight note of chocolate (but no heat). This is still young, a big, powerful wine now, and could definitely use a few years in the cellar. But on the second night it just hits an A- for me. (A-)
• 2002 Verget St. Romain - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, St. Romain (3/5/2008)
  A very nice chardonnay. Medium weight, with slight butterscotch on the nose and palate, with some pineapple and lime on the palate as well. Nicely balanced, crisp, and ready to go now. Bought more on sale, but I'll drink soon (damn the plastic cork on this!)(B+/A-)

[Jenise]

John, I'm usually a fan of Brunel's Les Cailloux and would have expected a 99 of that wine to be showing better now. Where do you think that one's going?

Well. it's only a 1999, I suppose, so there's hope that it is still closed down now. It didn't seem to budge much over 4 hours or so - perhaps it became a little more integrated. Hold and hope! It should certainly last another 10 years easy, if history is anything to go by.